


I Think He Likes You

by emilyevanston



Series: I think he/she likes you [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, M/M, Oral Sex, Romance, Smut, mix ups
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-10-31 07:23:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10894512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyevanston/pseuds/emilyevanston
Summary: Bucky likes Steve and Steve likes Bucky but they’re both complete idiots.





	1. I Think He Likes You

“Cheat!”  Bucky yelled as Natasha put two cards on the pile.

Natasha smirked.  “Oh really, James.  Take a look.  Two eights just like I said.”  She said, flipping the cards over.  

Bucky grabbed her hand and slid his fingers up her sleeve.  “Oh really?  And this is?”  He asked pulling out a four of diamonds.

Natasha fell back laughing.  “I should know by now, shouldn’t I?”

“Hey I can’t blame you.  Who else besides Barton would have picked up on that?”  Bucky chuckled.

They were interrupted by Steve stepping off the elevator.  He looked down on them on the floor, Natasha lying down and cards scattered everywhere.  He didn’t even react.  “I was hoping I’d find you.  There is word of a protest against the registration act downtown tomorrow.  I was hoping the two of you could just keep an eye on it.  Stop it from getting out of control.”

“Why bother?”  Bucky groaned.  “Just let them fuck shit up.”

Steve folded his arms over his chest and scowled down at Bucky.  Bucky suddenly felt like a child in trouble with his dad.  “Buck…”  That’s all he said, just Buck.

Bucky sighed.  “Fine.”

Steve headed towards his bedroom and then stopped turning back to Bucky and Natasha.  “Oh hey, Buck.  I heard there was a film festival on this weekend.  They’re playing a bunch of stuff from when we were kids.  King Kong and Robin Hood.  Some others.  Do you want to go?”

Bucky did want to go.  Not for the reason he thought Steve had invited him.  Steve had been trying really hard to bring back the man Bucky used to be. It had started to hurt a little.  Bucky didn’t think he’d ever be that man again and each attempt Steve made to bring him back made Bucky feel that little bit inadequate.

He did want to spend time with Steve though.  He really wanted to do that.

“Yeah, sure pal.  Sounds good.”  Bucky agreed.

Steve smiled warmly.  “Great.”  He said.  It looked like he blushed, but Bucky didn’t think that could be true.  “Great.”  He repeated and disappeared into his room.

Natasha sat up and poked Bucky in the side and made a long ‘ooo’ sound.  Bucky just rolled his eyes.

* * *

After the protest which stayed peaceful, Natasha and Bucky participating in it more than babysitting, the two walked back through the snow towards the Avengers Tower.

“Fuck, it’s freezing.  Next coffee place we pass we’re going in.”  Natasha said, moving herself closer to Bucky.

Bucky nods but doesn’t say anything.  Just keeping his hands in his pockets

“So what are you gonna wear on your date?”  Natasha asked, nudging him.

Bucky looked down at her confused.  “What date?”

“The one with Steve.  To the film festival.”  Natasha presses.

Bucky laughs.  “Very funny, Tasha.”

“I’m not being funny.  You like him right?”  Natasha pressed.

Bucky stopped walking and looked at her.  She kept walking for a few steps before turning to face him.  How could he have been so obvious?  He’d spent all his youth keeping that secret.  Did everyone know?  “He’s like my brother.”  Bucky said.

“A brother you want to kiss.”  Natasha said, starting to walk again.

Bucky followed head down hands in his coat pockets.  “Doesn’t matter.  He doesn’t feel the same way.”

Natasha started laughing.  “James, he’s completely head over heels for you.  I actually think you could actually meet someone else and make a life.  He couldn’t.  It’s you or no one.”

“Yeah, right.”  Bucky scoffed.  “Even if it were true.  Which it’s not.  He’s always trying to get me to do things that are what I would have done back then.  I’m not him anymore.  I’m broken.  I’ll never be that guy again.”

Natasha frowned and put her arm around Bucky’s waist.  “All of us are broken, James.  He’s not the Steve you used to know either.  But he wants you.  He asks you to things that are special for the two of you.  He’s asked you on a date.”

She let him go and turned into a small cozy coffee shop.

“No, I’m telling you, Tasha. Steve never meant that.”  Bucky said shrugging off his coat.

“And I’m telling you, James. He did.”

* * *

For the next week Bucky tried to convince Natasha that the girl from the coffee shop they’d gone into that day liked her.  While she in turn tried to convince him that the same was true about Steve.

Every day they walked the four blocks out of their way to get coffee at that coffee shop.  They always stayed when the girl was working.  She was cute.  She was sweet natured and she wore sun dresses despite it being the middle of winter.  She always gave them free cakes.  Bucky could see so clearly that Natasha liked her and that the feeling was reciprocated.  Natasha was adamant that the girl liked Bucky though and she wouldn’t listen to reason.

Bucky on the other hand was starting to question if maybe it was a date.  Every time Natasha insisted that Steve felt the same way Bucky did he started to believe her more.  Bucky wasn’t sure if that made it worse or better.  He knew how to be around Steve as a friend.  He didn’t know how to date him.

By the day of the festival Bucky and Natasha had done their usual trip to the coffee shop and returned to the tower so he could get ready.  The caffeine was a mistake.  He was overthinking everything.

It was almost time to go, and he’d tried on four different outfits.  He was now standing looking at himself in a black suit and cursing himself.  Natasha knocked on the door and poked her head in.

“Aww, look at you all dressed up for your date.”  She teased, approaching him.

Bucky turned to her a pained expression on his face.  “It’s too much, isn’t it?”

“For a funeral?  Looks fine.”  Natasha went to Bucky’s closet and pulled out a black leather jacket.  “Switch.”  She said, tossing it to him.

Bucky took his suit jacket off and put the leather one on.  Natasha disappeared for a minute and reappeared with a comb and a hair tie.  She climbed on the bed behind him and combed his hair back, tying it off his face.

Bucky stood up and turned to face her.  “You’re sure?”  He asked.

She hummed and got to her feet.  “One last thing.”  She said and started taking off his tie.

Bucky went to say that that’s not what he meant.  That he wanted to be sure this was a date.  That he wasn’t going to make a fool of himself in front of the guy he grew up with.  They guy he’d carefully been compartmentalizing his feelings for so that no one ever found out.  All he managed to get out was; “That’s not what…” when there was another knock on his door and Steve stepped inside.

Steve was wearing tan pants and a light blue shirt with a tan leather jacket over it.  Bucky sometimes wondered if that’s the only other thing he owned besides a series of t-shirts that were all a size too small for him and his Captain America uniforms.

Steve’s brow furrowed as he watched Natasha unbutton the top two buttons of Bucky’s shirt and smooth her hands down his jacket.  “You ready, Buck?”

Bucky smiled.  “You know it.  Let’s go.”  He turned back to Natasha and gave her a quick hug.  “Thanks, Tasha.”

“Anytime, James.”  She smiled, tweaking his jaw.  “Have fun boys.  Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

* * *

Whatever Bucky and Steve ended up on was not a date.  At least not like any Bucky had ever been on.  It wasn’t even just the normal spending time with his best friend.  It was just awkward.

When Bucky suggested splitting popcorn, Steve just said he would get his own.  When they sat in the movie chairs, Steve seemed to hunch himself up so they weren’t touching.  Which only highlighted the fact they were so large that it was physically impossible not to touch when they were squeezed into tiny cinema seating.

Bucky was used to these things going easily.  Back in the thirties when he dated he’d play a game.  See how far he could get on a first date until they told him no.  Usually it was pretty far.  He always got the kiss.  He often got his hand up under their sweater.  On more than one occasion he got his hand up their skirt.

Being with Steve had always been easy.  Back before the war they touched easily.  He was little Steve and Bucky loved him and protected him.  All the things Bucky did to impress girls were almost half as much to impress Steve.  The girls were easy to impress.  Steve was not.

When Steve took the serum, Bucky struggled a little.  Steve didn’t need him anymore.  It still wasn’t like this though.  Steve just switched.  Bucky became his mascot in a way.  His cheerleader.

Even after Hydra they’d slipped back into their friendship.  It wasn’t as easy.  He was different, damaged.  He still loved Steve though and Steve had been patient and kind.  Despite the fact he kept trying to bring old Bucky back, he wasn’t hard to be around.

Tonight though?  Steve had never not shared a popcorn.  When they were squashed up against each other in the cinema, Steve would just sling his arm around Bucky’s shoulder like it was nothing.  Those things were minor compared to how little they spoke.  Even when Bucky tried to bring up the first time they saw Robin Hood and how Steve has wanted to take up fencing after, Steve just gave a half hearted laugh.  Normally he’d be excited that Bucky had remembered something like that.

They walked home together.  Each with their hands in their pockets.  Bucky with his head down wondering what the hell went wrong.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Natasha.”  Steve said as the Tower started to loom in front of them.

Bucky looked at him.  “Yeah.  We go get coffee at the place in midtown.  It’s cute.  The coffee they do now is so good.  Have you ever had a hazelnut latte?”

Steve shook his head.  “I think I’m just a black coffee man, Buck.”  He said.

“That’s what I thought about me.  But Tasha got a vanilla latte and it tasted so good.  You should really…” Bucky was going to tell Steve about the girl at the coffee shop.  How she drew pictures in the milk.  How she wore sundresses in winter.  How she gave them free cake and how Natasha was completely smitten.  Steve interrupted him.

“Tasha?”

“Oh yeah. Uh… I remember things from when I was…”  He looked at Steve and flexed the fingers on his metal hand.  He never liked elaborating out loud about the Soldier.  Steve’s knew what he meant.  “I knew Natalia.  Or the soldier did.”  He shook his head.  “It’s a Russian pet name I guess.  You don’t use full names for people you’re friends with.  So Tasha.”

“We all call her Nat.”  Steve said.

Bucky shrugged.  “She calls me James.  I dunno.  It’s just our thing.”

They made it back to the Tower and got into the elevator .  “I’m glad you’ve made a new friend, Buck.”  Steve said as they travelled up to the living quarters.

“It’s nice having people who aren’t afraid of me around.”  Bucky said, he wanted to add that of everyone in the tower Natasha had the most reason to be scared of him.  That the fact she wasn’t gave him hope that he’d really get to be a part of this thing Steve had dragged him into.  He couldn’t quite bring himself to say it though.

They got out of the elevator.  Bucky went to ask Steve if he wanted to have a beer or watch some TV.  He opened his mouth and Steve clapped him on the shoulder.  “Thanks for coming out with me, pal.  I’m gonna hit the hay.”

Bucky watched him go into his room and cursed.  “Yeah, great date, Tasha.  He’s obviously into me.”

****

“You guys are impossible.”  Natasha sighed.  Her eyes stayed trained on the girl making their coffee.

Bucky ran his hands through his hair and groaned.  “I think you’re wrong.  I’ve known him since we were kids.  You think he wouldn’t have said anything?”

Natasha banged her head on the table. “James, have you ever said anything to him?”

“No, but…”

“When has Steve ever been the one to go first?”  Natasha pressed.

The girl came to the table and gave them their coffee.  She flirted with Natasha before going back to serve the next customer.

Bucky took a sip of his coffee and when he put the cup down, Natasha picked up a napkin and wiped the foam from his upper lip.  “You’re wrong about this.  Besides, you’re not exactly going first either.”  He said, gesturing to the girl behind the counter.

Natasha rolled her eyes.

* * *

The next week passed slowly.  Steve seemed to completely be ignoring Bucky and Bucky had no idea what he’d done.  So he stuck closer to Natasha.  The only one who he truly considered his friend.  They got coffee everyday and the whole crush on the barista thing was starting to make Bucky crazy.  It was so obviously these women liked each other.  He wanted to grab them each by the back of the head and smooth their faces together saying ‘now kiss’.

Natasha and Bucky rode the elevator up to the living quarters both equally annoyed at the others lack of action.

“You should just tell him how you feel.  Even if I’m wrong at least then it’s out there.  This is Steve we’re talking about.  He’s not going to go running screaming from you.”  Natasha groaned, resting the back of her head on the mirror.

“Yeah, well you should ask that girl out.”  Bucky countered.

“James!”  Natasha snapped, stepping out into the living quarters.  Clint was sitting watching football by himself.  Natasha internally screamed as she realized this was now going to include her best friend too.

“Tasha! Ask her out! You’re obviously into her.” Bucky groaned.

Clint perked up when he heard the words and he peered over the back of the couch at Bucky and Natasha as they shrugged off their coats. “Nat’s into someone? Who? Who? Tell me all the details.”

“It’s this girl from a coffee shop. She’s really cute. And you should Tash, her eyes turn into hearts when she looks at you.”

Clint put his chin in his hands. “Awww… my little girl has a crush.”

“Shut the hell up, Barton.” Natasha snapped, flopping down on the couch.

Clint looked up at Bucky. “I want to meet her.”

“Sure, she works at this place…”

“No!” Natasha yelped. “She’s not for you!”

Clint burst out laughing. “Oh my god! Nat! You have it bad!” He cried. “You have to ask this chick out.”

“I can’t!” Natasha whined.

“Tasha, seriously. I have never once seen you like this. You are always so confident when you approach people you’re into.” Bucky said, sitting next to Natasha.

“Normally I approach people who are like me. This girl is … perfect. She is sweet and innocent and like sunshine. What would she want with an ex-assassin?” Natasha groaned, burying her head in her hands.

“Would you say that about me?” Bucky asked.  “That I wouldn’t be good enough for someone I liked?”

Nat looked at him and narrowed her eyes. “But you think it or you’d tell him.”

“Tell who?” Clint asked, looking between the two former assassins.

“He doesn’t like me that way.” Bucky said firmly.

“Who doesn’t? Is it me? Do you like me, Bucky?” Clint asked. “Because you’re right. I do not. Man, I’m married.”

Bucky ignored him. “Want to make a deal, Natalia?”

She eyed him suspiciously. “That depends what it is, James.”

“You ask her out and I’ll tell him how I feel about him.” Bucky said.

Clint kept looking from one to the other like he was at a tennis match.

“Other way around. You tell him and I’ll ask her out.” Natasha countered.

“No…” Bucky said, shaking his head. “I have way more at stake than you do. You ask her and I’ll tell him.”

“Tell who what?” Steve asked standing in the doorway.

Bucky’s head snapped around and stared at him. Natasha gave Bucky a shove. “Tell him.”

Doomed.  Bucky felt doomed.  He had to tell him something.  Maybe this was it?  Maybe Natasha was right about one thing.  At least if he admitted how he felt it was out there and not just eating him up.  He got to his feet. “Can we go somewhere private?”

Steve nodded and they headed to Steve’s bedroom.  The door closed behind them.  “What did you need to tell me?”

Bucky looked at his feet and twisted his hands together.  He looked back up at Steve, into the clear blue of his eyes, down to his soft pink lips and back to the floor.  “I don’t know how to tell you this.”

Steve sighed and sat on his bed.  “If it’s about you and Nat.  I worked it out.  If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

Bucky looked at Steve confused.  “Me and Nat?”

“That’s what you were going to tell me right?  That you and Natasha were seeing each other?”  Steve pressed.

Bucky barked out a laugh.  “Uh… no.  That’s not what I was going to say.”

Bucky approached Steve and crouched down on the ground in front of him.

“Well what is it?”  Steve asked.  This time it was his turn not to keep eye contact.  His eyes darted around the room, resting anywhere except on Bucky.

“Steve, it’s you.  I’m in love with you.”

Steve’s eyes returned to Bucky’s.  He opened his mouth.  Closed it again.  Blinked a few times and spoke.  “You are?”

Bucky nodded.  “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way.”

“How long?”  Steve asked.

Bucky swallowed.  “Always.  From when we first met, til the end of the line.”

“You and Nat?”  Steve asked.

“Are friends.  She’s into this girl and won’t ask her out.  I keep tellin’ her…”

Whatever Bucky kept telling her, Bucky never got to say.  Steve’s lips crashed into his taking him by surprise.  He closed his eyes and parted his lips, giving Steve access to his mouth.  This was not Bucky’s first kiss.  He’d kissed lots of girls before.  But that was what it was.  Before.  Before he was this new person.  It felt like a first kiss ever.  His heart was beating in his ears.  He felt excited, and nervous and his skin felt flushed.  There were butterflies in his stomach and his head felt light and far off.

He followed Steve’s lead for a moment, when something shifted and it was Steve following his lead.  Bucky had never kissed a man before.  He thought it might feel wrong in the end.  He’d been fighting this side of him for so long that maybe there would be nothing natural feeling about it at all.  He was wrong.  This felt like the most right thing he’d ever done.  

When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless.  “I love you too, Buck.”  Steve breathed, resting his forehead on Bucky’s.

“Why didn’t you ever say?”  Bucky asked.

“Why didn’t you?”

Bucky laughed and brought his lips back to Steve’s, just briefly this time.  A quick kiss because he had to and he could.  “You’re a punk.”

Steve pushed Bucky’s hair off his face.  “Jerk.” He smiled.


	2. Needed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Steve go on their first date. Turns out dating your best friend isn’t quite as a natural transition as the would have liked.

First dates are always nerve wracking.  You never know how formal it’s going to be.  What you should wear.  Whether the person you were with would want to hold hands or not.  Even back when Bucky excelled at first dates he always had the nerves first.  Trying to impress a girl when you had no money took a level of skill and finesse that Bucky wasn’t sure he could always pull off.

This was worse.  This was the first date.  The moving of a friendship into a romantic relationship.  The fact he’d exclusively seen women up until now.  The fact he still had it in his head that being with a man was wrong.  The fact that he hadn’t actually gone on any dates since he got away from Hydra.  He hadn’t been intimate with anyone since he had to share his body with someone that wasn’t him.

Bucky considered that he’d settled down into the Avengers pretty well after the dust had all settled.  He’d sulked around a lot to begin with.  They never did manage to get the soldier out of his head completely.  Just to negate the triggers.  So he’d had to adjust to the fact he’d never be who he once was. But once he saw that most of the others weren’t just only tolerating him being there he’d settled a little.

He had managed to get used to Steve touching him as a friend.  The pats on the shoulders and the occasional hug.  The first few times it had made him jump out of his skin.  But this was Steve and he was familiar. So he’d gotten used to it, and even liked it.  Then Natasha had started doing it too.  That took more getting used to.  Particularly because he could remember the Red Room.  When he saw that she of all people was willing to forgive that and move on, that was when he really became comfortable in the tower.  He could hug people, and pat them on the back.  He didn’t mind when the girls put their feet in his lap and hinted at foot rubs.

The thought of more though.  Of actual kissing and maybe even sex.  That scared him.  Especially when it was with a man.  Especially when that man was Steve.

Not that he didn’t want it.  He wanted it. He’d wanted it for as long as he can remember ever wanting to have that with anyone at all.  He regretted not doing something back then, when he was him and Steve was just Steve.  He wished he’d been as brave and cocky as he made everyone believe he was.  Now he didn’t even have it in him to pretend that.  He was scared.

Scared and he couldn’t decide what fucking tie to wear.  He ripped the red and blue striped one from his neck and threw it on the bed with the others.

There was a knock at the door and Steve opened it.  “You ready?”  He asked.

Bucky looked over at him.  Steve was ready.  He look amazing in his black dress pants and dark blue shirt. He wasn’t even wearing a tie.  He just had the collar open and his sleeves rolled up a little, showing off his forearms.

“I wanted to dress up a little, but I can’t choose a tie.”  Bucky answered, looking over a Steve.

Steve approached him and ran his hands down Bucky’s arms.  He looked at the pile on the bed.  “Where did all these come from?”

“Tony.”  Bucky answered.

Steve picked up a cornflower blue one from the pile.  “Tony loaned you his ties?”

Bucky smirked.  “Well I mean, he doesn’t know he did.”

Steve laughed as he hung the tie around Bucky’s shoulders and started to tie it in a windsor knot.  “I like when you wear light blue.  It shows up in your eyes.”  He said, softly as he set the knot in place.  He ran his hands down Bucky’s chest and smiled at him.  “You look very handsome.  Am I underdressed?”

Bucky shook his head.  “No.  You look good.  You always look good.”

“Since the serum.”  Steve added, chuckling.

Bucky shook his head again.  “No.  Even back then.  I’d go back to then if I could.  I should have said something then.  Maybe you wouldn’t have hated yourself so much.”

Steve’s eyes shimmered and he wiped one with the back of his hand.  “Buck.  It’s okay.  I probably wouldn’t have believed you anyway.”  He reached up and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Bucky’s ear.  “You’re wearing your hair up again.  It suits you.”

“Maybe I should get it cut.  Like I used to wear it.”  Bucky suggested.

Steve smiled at him.  “You aren’t that guy any more Buck.  And I’m not the guy I was either.  I’ve changed my hair.  Maybe you’re a guy who wears his hair tied back now?”

Bucky didn’t say anything.  He wasn’t even sure what to say to that.  Is it good he’s not that guy any more?  Was Steve not attracted to him until he was this amalgamation?  Or does he wish he could go back to and is just settling for the wreckage that’s left?

“Shall we go?”  Steve asked.

Bucky nodded and they both grabbed their coats and headed out.  For a while they just walked in silence, side by side hands in their pockets.  It was snowing again, and flakes were settling in Steve’s hair and eyelashes.  His nose was bright pink and each breath out they made was accompanied by a cloud of condensation.

Bucky wasn’t actually sure where they were going and after a little while he hoped Steve knew.  He was the one who had asked him out on this date.  If it was up to Bucky they’d just stay in and order Pizza.  Maybe watch some movies on Netflix in bed.

Steve had changed in a lot of ways.  But he was still old fashioned about romance.  They walked past the coffee shop he and Natasha went into most days, Bucky pointed it out.  “That’s where that girl Natalia has a date with works.”

“Really?  It’s funny to think of Nat with just some girl from a coffee shop.  I always assumed she only dated people like us.  I didn’t even know she was gay.”  Steve mused.

Bucky laughed and clapped him on his back.  “Did you even know you were gay?”

Steve smirked and shook his head.  “I knew.  I just didn’t want anyone else to.”  He rubbed his arm with his palm.  “I do like girls too though.  I always thought you were supposed to be one or the other.”

“I like ‘em too.  I think Tasha also likes fellas.”  Bucky shrugged.

“Does anyone just like one or the other?”  Steve asked.

Bucky shrugged again.  “I got no idea, pal.  I guess so.  Otherwise why would they have spent so much time telling us how evil it was to for men to like men?”

Steve stopped and looked around.  He seemed to get his bearings and they headed off again.  Just down the street and the first left.  They entered a small, low lit, swing club.  There was a haze of smoke in the room which Bucky found strange with the new smoking laws they had these days.  People were sitting at the bar, others at tables and about half a dozen swing dancing in the middle of the room in front of a band that consisted of a saxophonist, a double bass player and someone on the piano.

Steve went over to the server.  “I had a table for two booked for Rogers.”  He said.

The woman looked down her list and crossed out a name.  “Right this way, Captain Rogers.”  She said, smiling warmly and picking up two menus.  She led them to a booth in the corner.  It was dark and a candle in a glass red holder sat in the middle of the table.

Steve slid into the chair followed by Bucky.  They both just sat staring at the menu.

“Why is this so hard?”  Bucky asked, putting the menu down.

Steve looked up at him.  “The steak looks okay.”

Bucky shook his head.  “That’s not what I meant.”

Steve offered a half smile.  “I know.  I don’t know.  I know I love you.  I know I want this.  This is just new.”

Bucky sighed.  “I wish you’d let us just stay at home.  We coulda got a pizza.”

Steve laughed.  “And had Tony bother us all night?  Besides, I wanted to do this right.  Now come on Buck.  You gonna show me a good time?”

Bucky chuckled.  “You got it, pal.”  He bumped Steve with his shoulder and they both laughed.

The waitress came and took their order and when she left they were quickly approached by two women.  Both dressed in vintage looking rockabilly dresses.  The blonde wore red and the brunette blue with polka dots.

“We were wondering if you gentlemen would like to dance.”  The blonde said.

Steve and Bucky both smiled up at the women and Steve ran his hand through his hair.  “We’re actually here together.  But thank you for the offer.”  He said.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.  We’ll leave you alone then.”  The blonde yelped.

“I hope we’ll see you on the floor then.”  The brunette added.

Bucky smiled at Steve.  “Look at you.  You actually told someone we’re on a date.”  

Steve blushed.  “Well, we are.”

“You realize you haven’t touched me since we left my room.”  Bucky said, sliding a little closer to Steve and looking into his eyes.

Steve hunched his shoulders up and looked away.  “It’s just public display of affection … Ya know?  And … I just … I’ve never…”

Bucky tilted Steve’s chin back to face him and ran his palm over his jaw.  “You’ve never what?  I know you’ve kissed a gal.  I saw it with my own two eyes.  You kissed me.  What haven’t you done?”

Steve swallowed.  “All the rest of it.”

“I took you on double dates before.”  Bucky said, moving a little closer so their thighs were touching.

“Yeah and the girls always ignored me and ended up going home with you.”  Steve said, his eyes flicking down to Bucky’s lips and back up again.

Bucky pushed his hand back into Steve’s hair.  “I’m sorry.  I never took you on those to hurt you.”

Steve shook his head, but didn’t take his eyes off Bucky.  “I know.  I pushed them away.  I wanted you.”

Bucky brought his lips to Steve’s, kissing him deeply.  He fisted his hand into Steve’s hair and tugged on it.  Steve hummed into Bucky’s mouth.  When Bucky pulled away Steve chased his lips.

“I thought you didn’t like public displays of affection.”  Bucky teased and pecked Steve softly on his lips again.

“Maybe I just never had the right partner.”  Steve replied, pulling Bucky back into a kiss.  They were interrupted by the arrival of their food.  Bucky stayed pressed up against Steve while they ate.

“So why here?  This isn’t normally where you’d take us.  You weren’t even awake for the fifties.”  Bucky asked.

Steve shrugged looking away from Bucky.

“Steve.  You’re with me, pal.”  Bucky pressed.

“I wanted to dance.”  Steve replied, quietly.  “This was the closest place I could find that had dancing close to what I recognized.  But it’s stupid.  I don’t even know how to dance.  And who would lead anyway?”

Bucky slid out of the chair and took Steve’s hand pulling him.  “Come on, punk.”

“Buck…”  Steve whined.

“Don’t you ‘Buck’ me.  We’re dancing.”  Bucky said, firmly.  Pulling Steve to his feet.  

Bucky led.  He knew how to dance.  Even if his moves were outdated by even swing dancing standards, he could hold his own on the dance floor.  After a while, Steve gained confidence and it switched.  Then it wasn’t really clear who was leading.  They were just dancing and enjoying each other.

They stayed out late and when they walked home it was with Bucky’s arm slung over Steve’s shoulders and Steve’s wrapped around his waist.  In the elevator up they stood face to face.  Steve leaned in a little and Bucky bridged the gap, pushing Steve up against the mirror and kissing him hard.  The elevator stopped and then came out breathless and swollen lipped.

Natasha was sitting on the couch in a hoodie watching TV.  “Evening gentleman, have you had a good night?”  She smirked.

“We have thank you.”  Bucky replied.  “What about you, didn’t you have a date?”

“I did.  But it’s now midnight.  I walked my little Cinderella home at a reasonable hour unlike some people I know.”  Natasha teased.

“Well, mine is home now too.”  Bucky laughed. “Night, Tasha.”

“Night, boys.  Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”  Natasha purred.  

“Night, Nat.”  Steve said.  He took hold of Bucky’s hand and led him to his room.

When the door closed, Bucky turned to Steve.  “You brought me back to your room.”  He said.

“That’s very observant, Buck.”  Steve said, tugging on Bucky’s tie.

Bucky caught Steve’s hand with his.  “You sure?”

Steve nodded.  “I’m sick of waiting for you.  I want this.  I want you.  If you’ll have me.”

Bucky nodded and kissed Steve.  Steve’s hands went back to Bucky’s tie and pulled it off, tossing it to the side.  He pushed his hands up under Bucky’s shirt, raking his fingers over his abs.

Every one of Bucky’s muscles spasmed under Steve’s touch.  His cock hardened and throbbed.   Even such a simple thing as kissing had become too much.  His body seemed to automatically expect that touch means pain, and now it didn’t, it’s was in sensory overload.

“Stevie.  Oh god.”  He moaned .  “I need to slow down.”

Steve stepped back and his brow furrowed .  “What’s wrong?”

Bucky leaned against the wall panting.  He ran his palm over his abs and shook his head.   He didn’t really know where to start.  How to explain what’s happening to his body right now. Nor the fears running through his head.  He reached over and took Steve’s hand. “What they did to me… I’m a mess.  Every time someone touches me I expect pain.  When it’s not it’s almost too good.  Does that make sense?”

Steve nodded .  “We’ll slow down.  It’s not like I have any idea what I’m doing anyway.”

They moved towards the bed, slowly unbuttoning each other’s shirts.  “Me either, pal.”

“You gonna keep calling me pal, even now?”  Steve asked, gently running one finger down Bucky’s chest.  Bucky’s muscles twitched as his finger trailed down his skin.

“It’s just habit.  You’d rather ‘darlin’?”  Bucky smirkled.

Steve laughed.  “I guess not.”

Bucky kissed him, deeply but gently. Their lips caressing each others.  He pushed Steve’s shirt down off his shoulders and onto the floor before moving his mouth to Steve’s neck.  Steve let his head fall back and held Bucky around the waist.  Humming as Bucky’s lips touched him in a place he’d never had kissed before.

“This isn’t something I’ve ever done before either.”  Bucky murmured against, Steve’s skin.

Steve’s hand slid up Bucky’s back.  Bucky shivered as it stroked upwards.  His muscles flexing under Steve’s palm.  Steve stopped on Bucky’s neck and just held his hand there, cradling the base of his head with his large fingers.  “No I mean, at all.  You’ll be my first at all.”  Steve whispered.

Bucky pulled back and shrugged off his shirt.  “I meant that too.”

Steve looked at him, slightly puzzled.  “But all those girls?”

Bucky laughed.  “I dated ‘good’ girls, Steve.  I liked to try and get as far as I could, but it was never this far.  A couple of times I got my hands up their skirts.  That was it.”  His face fell for a moment and he furrowed his brow.  His metal hand running over his hair.  “The soldier… he did… was made… in the Red Room.”  He turned and looked back to the door, knowing Natasha sat on the other side.  Natasha who had so openly forgiven him for everything the Soldier had done to her.  “Can we not count that, Steve?”  Bucky implored.

Steve cupped Bucky’s jaw.  “Of course, Buck.  That doesn’t count.  This is your first time.”  They kissed again.  This time frantic and passionate.  All the feelings Bucky had been holding down for 70 years.  About Steve.  About what happened to him.  About the things he’d been made to do, bubbled up and poured out into that kiss.  They started to kick off their shoes and unbuckle each other’s pants.

Once naked they hastily moved up onto the bed, side by side.  They lay down facing each other and Steve pressed his leg between Bucky’s.  He broke the kiss and slowly ran his hands over Bucky.  Touching as much of him as he could reach but carefully avoiding his dick.  He watched as Bucky’s body went from tensing and twitching to just relaxing under his hands.

“Does this hurt?”  He asked, running his finger down Bucky’s jagged scar on his shoulder.

“Sometimes.  When it’s going to rain.”  Bucky replied, his own hands had been trailing lazily over Steve’s skin the whole time and he now felt relaxed, despite how his cock throbbed and leaked precome.

“I’m so sorry, Buck.”  Steve said, his voice cracking.

Bucky shook his head.  “It’s not your fault.”

“Yes it is.  You were there because of me.  You should have been home.”  Steve argued.

Bucky pushed him on his back, straddling his thigh.  He kissed him fiercely.  “It’s not your fault, Steve.”  He said.  “It’s not.”

Bucky took both their cocks in his hand and started stroking them against each other as he kissed Steve hard.  Steve started to moan, his hips moving against Bucky.  “I love you, Steve.”  Bucky growled.  “I love you and I went because I wanted to protect you.  It’s not your fault.”

Steve held onto Bucky, giving himself to him.  He reached over and started digging in his side table.  His fingers finally closing on a bottle of lube and dragging it out.

“Steve…”  Bucky teased.  “Why would a single guy like you possible have that?”

Steve rolled his eyes.  “Because I’m single.”  He squirted some in his hand and took over from Bucky.  Rubbing his slicked palm up and down their cocks.

Bucky jerked and fell forward, burying his face in Steve’s neck.  “Oh fuck, Stevie.  I won’t last.  Uff…”  He panted.  

Steve pulled the hair tie from Bucky’s hair and ran his fingers through it.  “It’s okay.  I want that.  I want you to, Buck.”

Bucky kissed him, and his body jerked. He spilled in waves.  Hot come coating Steve’s hand and abs.  “Fuck.”  He hissed.  “Sorry.  Sorry.”

Steve kissed him.  “It’s okay.”  He said continuing to slowly stroke Bucky’s pulsing cock against his own hard one.  “This is just the first of so many times for us, Buck.”

Bucky nodded and kissed Steve’s throat, sucking on a patch of his skin.  He started stroking Steve’s cock and kissing down his body.  The closer he got to to Steve’s cock, the faster he stroked.  Bucky ran his tongue up Steve’s shaft and smirked.  “What’s it apple flavored for, single guy?”

Steve blushed.  “I didn’t read the label.  I dropped in my basket as quickly as I could and used the self serve checkout.”

Bucky started laughing.  He shoulders rising and falling as he hovered over Steve’s cock.  When he finally got himself under control he licked over the head of Steve’s cock and pulled his foreskin down.  He sucked greedily on the head, flicking his tongue over the slit.  Steve moaned and bucked up into Bucky’s mouth.

Like Bucky, Steve was large.  There was no way he could take all of him into his mouth so he continued to pump his fist up and down the base of his shaft as he sucked and licked as much as he could. He looked up at Steve and saw him looking back down at him through those thick lashes.  His chest was heaving and he was making soft moaning sounds.

Bucky sat up for a second and picked up the lube.  He looks down at his hands.   Until now he’d been exclusively using his right to touch Steve’s cock.  His left was okay for the rest of him, but he worried that the plates my catch or his grip might be too tight.  Now he wanted to use both his hands and he wasn’t sure which would be best for the things he wanted to do.

He squeezed the lube into his flesh palm and rubbed his hands together slicking them completely.  He took Steve’s cock into his right hand and lowered his mouth down over the head again.  With his left hand he started stoking Steve’s perineum.  He teased his asshole with the tip of his finger and slowly and gently pushed in.

Steve groaned loudly and bunched his fists into Bucky’s hair.  “Jesus Christ!  Buck!  Bucky!  Shit!”  He cried.  Bucky didn’t even make it into his first  knuckle and Steve came explosively.  He spilled into Bucky’s mouth, taking him by surprise.  The hot come coated his tongue, salty and tart.  Bucky swallowed and kept sucking, pulsing his finger in Steve’s ass.

When Steve’s cock stilled Bucky crawled up and curled against his broad chest.  “Next time, I wanna do that to you.”  Steve whispered, grabbing some wipes from his bedside table and cleaning them both up.

“Okay.”  Bucky replied.  “I’d like that.”

Steve trailed his fingers down Bucky’s spine.  “What was it like?”

Bucky rubbed his cheek against Steve’s chest.  “It was good.  I liked how you tasted and the sounds you made.”

“It felt good too.  Christ, Buck.”  Steve sighed.

Bucky chuckled.  “I could tell, pal.”  He leaned up and kissed Steve’s lips softly.  “You want me to go?  I have pretty bad nightmares.  I might keep you awake.”

Steve tightened his arms around Bucky.  “I have them too.  You’re not going anywhere.”

Bucky smiled, settling against Steve.  Knowing this was where he needed to be.


End file.
